Notes / Commercial Description:
"This annual favorite is a sublime hybrid of an American style IPA and a winter warmer. The result is a bold brew that celebrates the holidays with an intriguing blend of Centennial hops providing elegant citrus notes balanced by a backdrop of a rich caramel malt body. Dry hopped to amplify the aromas and flavor. Available in 22oz. bottles and draught. ABV 6.5% IBU 68"

Pours orange and yellow hue with amber thread throughout. Big, faomy bright white head leaves a thick, solid sheen of lace of the glass.
Aroma of pale malts, lighter citrus fruits, spruce and a hint of caramel and breadiness.
Flavor is hyper sweet grapfruit/melon notes. Some bread and herbal hop notes present along with some herbal or grass hints.
Mouthfeel is sweet, sweet. Almost orange juice sweet with some real heral notes. Very light bittering detected on the tongue. Almost a little saltiness as well.
Drinkability is solid. Little bit too sweet without many other notes to balance it out. Interesting take on style.

**Brewmaster's Reserve 2004** I look forward to the release of Wreck The Halls every season. And though it isnt clear to me if Full Sail brews the same recipe every year, I know I can always count on a big, ballsy IPA just in time for the holidays.

The Wreck begins with a magnificent aroma of fresh, resinous hops. The smell is piney, arboreal, and sensuous  like an enchanted hop forest. The Wrecked body is an unfiltered translucent garnet with turbulent CO2. A fluffy head of creamy duff stands tall above the rim of the glass and trails large fragmented lace.

This is a bold, northwestern IPA. The hops are immediate and unrelenting with strong citrus bittering and a piney, sprucy aftertaste. The dominant hop flavor is unabashedly lemony, perhaps like a lemon tea. The total effect of the combined hop elements is distinctive and makes for a solid ale-drinking experience.

I drank most of my 22 oz. bomber after a careful pour that retained most of the yeast in the bottle; a process I would recommend for this beer.

Pours a hazy dark orange with a huge blooming head that sits for awhile before coming down leaving huge amount of lace very nice.Whoa hops and more hops in the aroma some spruce and evergreen dominate with an underlying nuttiness oh man I can feel the tongue curl now,piney and citrusy up front but doesnt hit quite as hard as expected as the beer warms medicinal flavors come thru a lightly sweet caramel malt flavor comes thru but is not in balance with the big dose of hops.A hopheads brew here a big Pacific NW IPA true to form.

Smell- A very light smelling IPA. Sensed some hops, but also sensed a bit of spice.

Taste- Odd tasting beer this is. A tad bitter as expected, but not a whole lot of hops. Maybe like a cross between a pale ale and an IPA. There was also some weird taste at the back of my tongue. A very dry taste, but other than that I can't describe it.

Mouthfeel- Carbonation level was very good. Pretty smooth drinking.

Drinkability- Odd taste, but I likened to it more as I consumed it. I may try it again as my first beer rather than my last.

An oxidative caramel nose, viscous liquid Jell-O pour, and paltry thin sheet of head all suggest barleywine. Though the initial taste, fresh out of the fridge, is almost numbingly bitter, both time and warmth bring the beer around full circle to a focus that is wholly on these rich malts, hopped mostly to dry out the finish and bring out the subtle alcohol.

I'm reminded of IPAs like Gordon -- those that do have a freshness of hop character and definite notes of resin and pine, but never take a leap into the tall canopy of complex hop flowers -- American brown ales or barleywines that are even more aggressively than usual.

There's no denying the hop intensity of Wreck the Halls and, though not entirely complicated on taste, it is there on every part of the tongue and in every stage of the drink. The integration is resolute -- we get fresh pine, an herbal bitterness, watered-down chocolate, cheap coffee, some residual sweetness on the midpalate, burnt caramel, maybe even some pine nuts.

This beer is not to be questioned for its depth or inventiveness. And, though the alcohol is entirely controlled, I've never had a 6.5% beer taste this full and rich without being cloyingly sweet (which this is not at all). Because of the heavy hop presence, this feels like a fully attenuated 10% abv barleywine. Maybe there's some sweetness in here that the hops are hiding or maybe this has just matured to a finger's length of perfection. Wreck the Halls is an anomaly for what it can do with what it is.

There is no circus of hops here which, to me, goes against the American tradition of IPA. Apricots and rum-soaked peaches. What there is, however, is prodiguous balance and maturity from a beer big enough to mug me on the street corner that would rather walk me home, keep me safe.

Hazy, tawny-ruby in hue with flecks of gold, this has an attractive color. A smallish white head of less than a finger in height topped the beer. The head retention was fair; it quickly faded to a soapy cap. There was such minimal subsequent lacing it is pointless to discuss it any further. The nose is very pleasant? Have I reached the point that a nose as hoppy and juicy as this is merely pleasant? Oh, lord! To be fair the malt is much more vocal than most West Coast IPAs, that is nothing to complain about. The hops are, like I said earlier, juicy with citrus notes and kisses of spruce. The malt is talkative, firm, with stale caramel and toffee notes, modestly sweet too. Still, the maltiness is not complex and the potency isnt that loud, nevertheless the bouquet is inviting. The palate is very well balanced. First and foremost the silence of the alcohol is very noticeable. For an Americanized IPA this is a nice change of pace. As for the hops, they are very tasty. The outright bitterness is above moderate yet it is very flavorful with spruce notes, pine needles, and citrus rinds. It is not as juicy as the nose indicated. Thats fine, it made up for that it is arid finish, which was splendid! The malt is solid and it does a great job of balancing out the hops yet it only imparts a little actual flavor. In the aftertaste I got a pleasant candy-like heat (along with the hoppy flavors). This was a great way to finish the beer. It is a tickle bigger than medium in body. The carbonation is moderate but very appropriate and this helps create a great mouthfeel. Since this has perfect balance on the palate I cant help but want to quaff this, repeatedly. This is a lovely IPA, it is not too bold but pleasant tasty. I purchased a 22-ounce bottle in Loveland, CO. If I had purchased more I would have not complained!

A cloudy dark reddish/amber colour with a nice big head of white foam. The aromas are very subtle, but hint at caramel malts, and fresh/piney hops. The tastes is quite hoppy up front, but the piney/earthy hops are soon eclipsed by a big load of caramel malts. The mouthfeel is good, but a bit rough around the edges, and the drinkability is good for an IPA. A good stab at the style, but i've had many better IPAS, and better beers from this brewery as well...

Reserve 2003
Pours a deep amber copper color with a tall light tan head that leaves spider webs of lace across the glass as it recedes. Nose is citrusy hops and pine oil along with some roasted malt. Medium to full in body with a bit of a sticky mouth feel. Taste begins with some sweet caramel malt followed by juicy citrus fruit. Next come some notes of black tea and a bit of tobacco leading up to a good bite of bitter and acidic hop resins in the finish that remain in the aftertaste. A very enjoyable IPA with enough malt to keep the strong Pacific Northwest hoppyiness in check. Purchased from Liquid Solutions.

Definitely a balanced IPA with the sweet (bready more than caramel now on the taste) maltiness and floral/citrus hoppiness complimenting each other well...a citrus hop taste on the finish...inititially more floral notes which combine with the malt profile nicely...

Body and mouthfeel is about perfect..medium..firm...

Drinkability scores high...a real tasty, easy drinking IPA with much more character than others similar to this like Goose Island and Harpoon...

Pours a dark clear gold with a thick head and good retention. Has a strong hop aroma with a nutty malt in the background. Body is a bit thin for the style. Flavor reminds me of SN Celebration Ale yet not as good. Blend of hops and grains with a slight metallic finish. Overall ok but nothing outstanding.

Taste shows a hefty, piney, resinous hop flavor. Decent toasty, caramel, toffee malt backbone attempts to balance, but falls a touch short. Hop resins cling to the palate at finish. A bit of an English feel to this one.

Good mouthfeel and drinkability.

Overall, a good IPA, yet disappointing at the same time as I was expecting much more from this beer.

Appearance  Orangish-brown in color, more brown than orange, with a decent head. It also has some sediment floating around even though the bottle has been sitting upright in my fridge for at least two weeks.

Smell  The nice, easy combination of pine and citrus hops is balanced well with some lightly-toasted malt. The malt actually is very noticeable.

Taste  This is the first time that I have ever had an IPA that is heavy on the piney flavor and so well balanced with malt. It is a very interesting combination indeed. This one is Even Steven, 50/50, hop and malt, and tastes great.

Drinkability  This was a very unique offering by Full Sail. I personally enjoyed it but others may find the malt a little too much (or unexpected) from an IPA.

Update  I grabbed this 05 vintage on the day it was released to the stores, and man of man does this have a hop bite. The aroma is straight pine resin stank, and it carried its way through the taste like Godzilla stomping out Tokyo. Forget the balance from 2003, this is a hop bomb.

Nice deep copper color with a light head. The aroma is hoppy fruity and slightly spicy. The taste is a wonderful balace of maltiness and bitterness. Its Nice a bitter with a hint of spiciness to round out the beer. Its slightly nutty but very full bodied. A great beer for the for the holiday season.

Deep copper color. Medium head. Aroma is juicy hops and some malt. A full-bodied IPA. Malts are slightly sweet and a touch nutty. But it's the big juicy NW hops that dominate this beer. Hops are grapefruity and juicy, without being too bitter. Very well balanced. Nice and smooth. This stuff beats their regular IPA to death. An excellent example of a Pacific NW IPA. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and dry. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

Color is a hazy pale orangy light brown of peach skin, one finger high head thats yellowy cream colored, tight frothy spongy foam, settles slowly to a nice skim and ring with lace in oily spots and strings. Smell is lightly peachy, dry sense of pinewood, slightly juicy and oily green of all kinds of hops with a very slight caramel malt backing. Taste hits of hoppy bittering dryness immediately, pineyness, bright, green, and fresh, a touch of peachyness, nice and clean, smooth in places where the balancing of caramel malts in the background are barely detectable. Excellent bittering dryness into and through to the finish. Feel is medium body, solid bittering middle and smooths, thins into a drying tingly, slight piney finish that lingers with good quaility. One excellent IPA.

The medium-large head is creamy-dense and vanilla-ice-cream-colored, leaving thick, sticky lacing. Nice. The beer is a coppery brownish-orange and is almost clear.

Tons of hops dominate the nose: some grapefruit, a little tobacco. But there's also some creamy caramel in there. The sweetish caramel shows up in the hoppy front and turns creamy, malty and sweeter (but not too sweet) in the middle. The hops remain strong throughout, but take a solo in the finish, shouldering out any competing tastes. The aftertaste is bitter-fresh, with some nice fresh grains making an appearance. This is an excellent, deep beer. The hops are over-the-top, but the malt holds its own, especially in the middle, especially at temperature.

Wow! What a festive beer! Rich, malty and hoppy with just enough alcohol... ... ...perfect for enjoying during the holiday shopping season!!!!
It pours a hazy copper with crimson highlights and a short but creamy ivory head that holds fairly well at the offset, but drops to a thin collar and lacy surface covering once things get started. The nose expresses bright piney and gently citrusy hops (orange, grapefruit) over a sweety caramelish (and lightly maple syrupy) malt. The full body is accentuated by its very fine and natural carbonation from bottle conditioning, leaving it creamy and smooth across the palate. Its rich, sweetish toasted caramel malt is dripping with piney/spruce-like/grapefruity hops. Well balanced with a firm bitterness that never oversteps it bounds. It finishes clean and dry - surprisingly refreshing for a beer of its size! Very nice and well worth searching out.

The beer pours a burnished copper color, the head masterful in size, spumous in texture, the color a winsome light tan, as the head evanesces, the lace left behind a fine covering upon the glass. The aroma of hops quite evident, sweet malt and a bit of citrus twang also noted, a real sniffable beer, with the start sweet and thickly malt, the top full in its feel to the palate. Finish has a perky acidic bite, the hops bountiful and spicy, quite dry aftertaste that is also long lasting. A quite decent drinking IPA, not overwhelming, just about right in my humble opinion.

WOW oh wow what a beer! Even before i poured this brew from the bottle the head was rising up over the top! and it had not been shaken. This is a seasonal beer I think well it says "Reserve 2002" on the label.
The appearance of the beer is truelly great..hazelnut brown with just the righ murkiness..nice one 2 finger head ..that dissapated quick to form a rich lace down the glass..I oove the look of this beer.
Smell what can i say if you love hops ( and I do) the smell is dreamy..very strong..a bit of dark chocolate and liquorice too.
Taste is really quite bitter HOORAY but not so bad that it masks all the malt..
Lovelly in the mouth, just the correct carbonation
Overall an extremelly drinkable IPA..strong though I recommend this one.
Hope Reserve 2003 is a s good : )

Another highly enjoyable bitter beer from the west coast of the United States, quickly becoming one of the most respected hoppy beer regions in the world. Full Sail of Bend, Oregon presents bitter beer fans with a super addition to the hoppy seasonal favorites dubbed Wreck The Halls.

Like the Stone and Lagunitas IPAs, this one has similar characteristics without going over the top. I'm quickly finding myself steering towards hoppier beers all the time (Stone's Ruination and Arrogant Bastard, Dog Fish Head 90 Min IPA and now Full Sail's Wreck The Halls).

A little harsher in texture compared with Lagunitas IPA, but not overly so harsh that its going to shock your senses.

Pours a deep copper color with a nice large off white tightly packed foamy head. Head slowly minimizes to a solid surface coating with extensive glass lacing during the drink.

Aroma is highlighted by extensive earth tones, pine and some mossy undertones. A much richer bitter ale compared to most, but not overwhelming, this making for a very enjoyable and very drinkable beer.

Nice copper color with an everlasting off-white head which leaves nice sticky lace on the glass. Citrusy hop aroma. Taste begins with an aggressive piney hop flavor, leading you to believe that it's going to be a strongly bitter IPA. But then, the beer takes a left turn and an underlying strong sweetness appears. This sweetness is a bit different, almost sugary. The hops and sweetness battle it out for awhile and at the end the hops pulls forward by a nose with a mildly bitter finish. Mouthfeel is solidly medium with the carbonation adding to the creamy mouthfeel. I'd like to try this one in bottles to see how it compares.

Had this on tap at the Taphouse. This is probably the only beer I have ever seen sporting a turtleneck. The head was just amazing forming a thick collar that followed the beer down the glass. Amer in color with some very intense Saaz hop aroma. Sweet malt backbone layes below a pretty intense hop bite. Citrus flavors were relatively low with mostly piney contributions from th ehops. Bitterness was not overwhelming and was kept well in check. A very finely crafted brew.

Clear copper in color. Thin beige film coats the surface while a thick collar surrounds it. Lacing shows nice drooping patterns. Aroma is what I imagine a hop garden to smell like. Beautiful. Piney, floral, sprucy, herbal, oily. Very nice. First thing noted on the palate is the stinging bitterness. Nicely done. After that, other hop nuances let you know they're around: Oily. Pungent. Sprucy. Citric. Resiny. And to a lesser degree, Rind and Pine like qualites. The malt backbone is adequate, but could use maybe just a bit more support. It's seems to be a caramel malt base. The lingering bitterness is a treasure. The body of this beer seems to be closer to medium than to medium-full. A slightly thirst quenching dry aspect makes this brew highly drinkable. (The great taste doesn't hurt the drinkability either.)

This almost brings to an end my mini-run of 5 "top notch" West Coast IPAs. I've yet to be let down, and I doubt the last one I try will "Ruin" this streak.